In 2007, the Secretary of State for Defence announced that the Metrix consortium had been selected as the MOD’s preferred bidder for the delivery of the Defence Technical College. Metrix, a special purpose company that is a 50/50 joint venture between the defence and technology research group QinetiQ and Sodexo which has considerable experience of delivering projects of this scope and scale and working as a partner with the MOD.

Sodexo was confirmed as the 50/50 joint venture partner in February 2009 having been a member of the Metrix consortium from the outset of the project.

The redevelopment of St Athan is being undertaken in close partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government, which is promoting the development of the Aerospace Business Park and providing major new infrastructure for the entire development.

From the mid 50s to mid 60s a Boy Entrant School operated at St Athan teaching youngsters a diverse range of practical skills including mechanical transport, welding, carpentry and draughting. Some 7,000 completed their training at St Athan by the time the school was relocated in 1965.

A Driving Trainer School was established in the 1970s and trained approximately 4,000 personnel in a variety of skills, including motorway and night driving, before it closed in 1993. In 1999, the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) was formed to provide a one-stop shop for aircraft maintenance by combining RAF and RN aviation repair.

Working on military aircraft, such as Tornados and Sea Harriers, overhauling aero engines and providing manufacturing expertise, aircraft maintenance has been carried out at St Athan by some of the most highly qualified engineers and technicians in the world.

The new Defence Technical College, however, will bring training for each of the services; Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, together in one location for the first time. The benefits of this are considerable and will ensure that UK military personnel continue to receive the very best training available, whilst bringing together each of the services in one location will mean further benefits in terms of efficiency and shared learning.

The development of the new Technical College will transform the current site which, particularly in the case of East Camp, is currently underutilised with many of the buildings at the end of their economic life or in need of significant investment.

The additional development of the Aerospace Business Park will complement the Technical College as well as becoming a centre of excellence in its own right. It would build upon the expertise of existing aerospace businesses in South Wales, such as GE Aircraft Engine Services and General Dynamics, and bring vital new jobs to the area.

Providing the very best learning environment for personnel, careful consideration will be given to the appearance of the Technical College by creating distinctive buildings and landscaping to provide a development with character.

The Technical College will be centred around the former DARA Super Hangar, ensuring that this recently built facility continues to be used appropriately.

Students who attend the academy will be young and experienced professionals committed to developing skills in a number of specialist disciplines. Accordingly, they would be based at St Athan on a long-term basis, during which many will come to regard St Athan as their home.

South Wales already has an established expertise in the aerospace industry through current businesses such as British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC), and GE Aircraft Engine. Accordingly, the Aerospace Business Park would build on this skills base. The Welsh Assembly Government’s plan for the Business Park is to offer the facilities and infrastructure needed by manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and trainers to the aviation sector with a particular focus on maintenance, repair and overhaul.

These facilities would be located to the West of the cross runway on the North side of the main runway, and to the South of the main runway. Businesses involved in both civilian and military work will be located in large hangar facilities that will comprise a mix of new buildings and redeveloped existing hangars.

The Technical College will result in the creation of many new jobs, whilst the Aerospace Business Park could potentially provide a further 2,000 job opportunities together with exciting new training opportunities for aeronautical businesses across Wales. Both elements of the project will provide significant opportunities for local suppliers during the construction and operational phases.

Jobs created by the redevelopment of St Athan, together with the trainees attending, will result in a multi million pound annual injection into the local economy. Once completed, St Athan will enhance South Wales’ reputation as a centre of excellence for aerospace expertise, helping to attract further inward investment to the area.

The Wales Spatial Plan sets out the Welsh Assembly Government’s vision for Wales. In the Wales Spatial Plan, the site at St Athan is located within the South East – The Capital Network Region. The Assembly Government’s overall vision for the area is:

“An innovative skilled area offering a high quality of life – international, yet distinctively Welsh. It will compete internationally by increasing its global visibility through stronger links between the Valleys and the coast and with the UK and Europe, helping to spread prosperity within the area and benefiting other parts of Wales”

More information can be found in the St Athan Development Brief available on the Vale of Glamorgan Council's
web-site.